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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wax — to grow
  14. present — a gift
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com